James March-April 2024 online - Flipbook - Page 14
The commissioner told this writer
that one of his favorite sayings about
transportation is, “We are all in this
together.” He notes “the pure complexity of project delivery is mindboggling;
therefore, it’s critical that we work
closely with our partners.” He cites as
an example the Georgia Ports Authority
and notes that he and GPA President &
CEO Griff Lynch are in regular communication and meet about the ports’
growth so their teams can plan how to
support the vital movement of freight.
McMurry points to significant progress in strategic investments around
the Savannah and Brunswick ports
over the last ten years. “Even now,” he
says, “we are working on an innovative
solution to increase the clearance from
the Savannah River to the bottom of
the cable-stayed bridge at the Port of
Savannah. As Georgia continues to
enjoy amazing economic development
success, we see that freight volume is
projected to nearly double by 2050! We
have much to accomplish to ensure our
transportation network can handle that
amount of freight.”
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JAMES
M ARCH/ A PR IL 2024
ADDR E SS I N G T R A F F I C VO LUM E
With the population growth in
Georgia that has occurred, and with
the continued growth that is forecast,
there will be increased traffic volume
and congestion. To address that,
McMurry says, “we are underway
with some of the most exciting work
I’ve ever been a part of. Our goal is to
complete a system of express lanes
in metro Atlanta. We will have what
is known as a “hub-and-spoke system” with I-285 being the hub and the
spokes being I-20, I-75, and I-85.”
“We are currently in procurement
for 16 miles of new, optional express
lanes along SR 400 and will start
procurement for I-285 express lanes
this calendar year,” he continues.
“These projects are multi-billion dollar
public-private partnerships where the
state and private sector enter a longterm contractual partnership. Georgia
currently has the largest program in
the nation.”
Each of the projects are also
multi-modal in nature as GDOT incorporates transit opportunities and
options into the project development.
“We are making sure that rapid transit
or higher capacity type transit opportunities are not precluded from these
projects and supported by the private
sector.” Also, he says, “it is amazing to
see the support of the I-285 express
lanes project demonstrated by Fulton,
DeKalb, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties by them signing a memorandum
of agreement along with MARTA,
the ATL, the Atlanta Regional Commission and GDOT to support rapid
transit along the proposed express
lanes.” He says that he can’t recall
such support among so many entities
for a project.
While McMurry declares that
“exciting times are ahead,” he cautions
that motorists can expect construction on I-285 “for a long time,” as these
projects will be completed in phases
or sections at a time with intermediate
benefits. He adds another cautionary
note in this regard: “Please, watch out
for those workers and orange barrels
and avoid distracted driving. As we
say at GDOT: Drive Alert, Arrive Alive.”
